14 February 2007

If I knit it right away, does it count as stash?

I admit it. I fell off the no yarn purchases wagon earlier this month. I checked out the Superbowl Sunday sale at a new to me, but local, shop. And a bunch of Alpaca with a Twist followed me home. I've already turned the two skeins of Baby Twist into most of a Ruffles scarf that matches my sweet suede blazer perfectly. But two skeins of this yummy yarn does not make a long enough scarf. Tomorrow morning, I'll be phoning In Stitches to see if they have another ball in stock. I also bought two skeins of blue Fino (75% alapaca / 25% silk) for a shawl to be named later.

The next day, I drove to Richmond to give a presentation. And I found yarn before my talk. A ball of mostly blue Trekking pro natura came home with me. That was sock yarn at a new-to-me shop found on my travels (The Knitting Basket), so it does not count (see Exception 3) against the no new yarn resolution.

Unfortunately for my already weakened resolve, I went to late night last Wednesday. And a yarn rep was in the shop peddling Shaefer yarn. And she had many skeins of "cash and carry" Anne that Holly bought to wet our appetites for the big order of Anne she placed. Since I was writing a check anyway, I added a copy of Rowan #41 from the big pile on the back table and a skein of Mama-E's sock yarn to my stach. I had successfully resisted the Mama E's since it arrived at the shop in November, but the spring-like shades in Camilla warmed my frozen heart too much to leave it behind. In short, I bought myself an early Valentines Day gift.*

And to come completely clean, I missed the Rockin' Sock Club instruction not to combine the sock club payment with an order, and a skein of Puck's Mischief arrived in early January. Coincidentally, making a purchase with the Sock Club charge saved me from having my payment returned.

And I'm off to Boston on Friday—where I will see Lucy and pick up my latest Minds Eye sock club skein. I'll probably also visit Woolcott, and maybe Wild n Wooley. There will be no shopping on those visits. Only hanging out at the table and catching up with old friends.

*Before the real Valentine's Day gift arrived in our living room. Which we are enjoying tonight snuggled on the sofa with the kitty-girls watching the BC-Duke game while sipping bubbly.